Is it really September already? If you live in the Pacific Northwest like I do, this means you're in for a lot of flux - shorter days, cooler nights, truly amazing change of color! And if you're me - but last I checked, you were you - reaching September also means that your very first cover hits the press!

Cover Illustration for Gather Magazine

Cover Illustration, September 2016, Gather MagazineI was beyond thrilled to illustrate the cover of the upcoming September Issue for my long-time client, Gather Magazine. I was directed by art directors Vicki Walden and Greg Scott to reimagine the story of Jonah and the Whale, using a woman in place of Jonah. The narrative is one of retribution and mercy, and rebirth through repentance.

Gather Magazine is a Lutheran Women's magazine based out of Chicago, IL. I have done editorial illustrations for this client for over a year, but getting asked to do their cover was a major honor! I do not subscribe to any specific religion, so my experience working with this client has challenged (positively!) the way I read an assignment, research the material, and create secular imagery while still meeting the needs of a non-secular client. Discovering ways to make my images relatable to both the article and a broader audience is my hallmark.

Editorial Work for Gather Magazine, 2015-2016

Let the Light In, July 2015, Gather Magazine
This article talked about struggling with depression and anxiety, and the tendency to conceal our troubled minds from the outside world, when what we really need is community.

Slow Faith: Sabbath and Play, September 2015, Gather Magazine
On the importance of playfulness and curiosity as adults. "When we are young, we revel in silliness and imagination... as we grow older, we somehow absorb the idea that adult trust in God is made evident through seriousness. We become ashamed or embarrassed to ask questions. We hesitate to rest because we don’t want to seem lazy, inefficient or self-important." Excerpt from Slow Faith, by Julia Seymour.

Gratitude Changes the Way You Live, November 2015, Gather Magazine

On the importance of shifting perspectives and looking at our mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning. "When I view things from the proper perspective, I can only choose gratitude." Excerpt from Gratitude Changes the Way You Live, by Karris Golden.

What Mary Knew, December 2015, Gather Magazine
"After [she] takes her moment in the corner...she finds bravery in her self. She entrusts herself to a new self, to a willingness to imagine a future beyond what she knows, to embrace an identity of which she has little understanding." Except from the article, What Mary Knew by Leila Ortiz.

Generation to Generation, May 2016, Gather Magazine
An interview between one mother and her two daughters, on their ideas of faith and how they see God individually and as a family. The mother, in particular, reflects on the evolution of her own ideas of faith and spirituality from the time she was a child to the present day as a mother.

Road to Reconciliation: Moving From Conflict to Commonality, June 2016, Gather Magazine
"Disagreement—whether it be an argument with a stranger on the street; an ethnic, racial or cultural conflict; or two nations waging war—can be resolved through the process of peace-making through conflict mediation." Excerpt from Road to Reconciliation, by Rosemary Dyson.

Fairness: Towards a Deeper Understanding, September 2016, Gather Magazine
On how our fears and perception of a situation can make us blind to the resources available to change and adapt. "Focusing on 'fairness' can mire us in inertia." Excerpt from Fairness, by Karris Golden.